


Two Brothers

by Rennie75



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Castiel and Dean Winchester Have a Profound Bond, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Future Fic, M/M, Near Future, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-03-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:20:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23250835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rennie75/pseuds/Rennie75
Summary: Future shot with a happily-ever-after for Dean/ Cas and Sam/ Eileen.No detailed spoilers for plot, but there are references to current events. Fluffy and sweet - Cas’ POV.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester
Kudos: 23





	Two Brothers

**Author's Note:**

> No beta - just a scene that wouldn't get out of my head until I wrote it down.

Two Brothers

Cas watched the car approach the bunker before turning back to the scene in the garage. Head tilted, he didn’t need to hear the words to understand what was happening. Heartbroken and hurting, two brothers were trying to find a way home, a way to live and be happy. Doors slammed behind him and two people approached, but he continued to watch the scene.

“Hey, Cas,” Sam greeted with a slap on the back and a hug. 

Eileen moved in next to hug him. Cas returned her smile and they exchanged a few quick signs. Sam didn’t pay them any attention after he noticed the three people in the garage. He took a step forward then stopped and turned back to Cas.

“What’s going on there?”

Smiling, Cas looked behind Sam to the garage. Dean’s hand was wrapped around the smaller boy’s hand on the tool. Even from a distance, Cas could see the spots of blood where Dean’s knuckles scraped along the metal. Dean said something causing the boy to giggle. The older child stood with his arms crossed over his chest and glared…until the child turned to him. He nodded and smiled…until the boy turned back to Dean again. The returning scowl was even darker.

“Those the ones?” Eileen asked the question but was already nodding. “I can see it.”

Cas pulled his gaze back to watch Sam’s response. The curiosity was there as it always had been in the younger Winchester. He let Sam keep watching but filled the silence. “We have a box with the ingredients and books you requested.”

“Good, we have some things for you too. It’s nice having access to the electronic data, but I like visiting.” Eileen grinned at Cas and rubbed a hand along Sam’s back.

“Are you still doing the inventory? Any new hunters join?” Cas and Eileen spoke daily – they were the Winchesters who were best at communication after all. He knew the answers and she knew he knew. It was a strategy they’d discovered quickly when they’d needed to ease Dean and Sam into something new and different.

Sam hummed without looking away from Dean and the two boys. “The bunker is set up the same as here so it’s big. Being across the country for the last year sucks, but we can help out a lot more hunters this way. Less driving too.”

“Dean misses you,” Cas spoke softly and laid a hand on Sam’s shoulder.

“He tell you that?” Smirking, Sam briefly met Cas’ eyes. He immediately returned his gaze to his brother who had just tossed his head back to laugh. Sam’s smirk twisted into a wide, happy grin. “I’m glad we get to visit. We haven’t seen you guys since that hunt two months ago.”

The hunt hadn’t required both Sam and Dean, but Cas and Eileen coordinated efforts to bring them together whenever possible. The brothers were even busier with two former Men of Letters bunkers training and organizing hunters. The world needed every Winchester it could get, but the Winchesters boys still needed each other. “You’re staying the week, right?”

“Yes,” Eileen confirmed quickly.

A couple new hunters joined them under the guise of asking questions about an upcoming assignment. Cas supplied the information while the young man and woman cast frequent glances at Sam. The Winchesters had a reputation in the hunting world that still persisted even years after their showdown with Chuck. Just what that reputation was depended on who was asked – hunter, demon, angel, monster, victim, or Eileen and Cas. 

A small explosion ended the discussion. The young hunters waited until Cas nodded to run off to investigate.

“Do I want to know?” Sam had already turned back to Dean who waved a hand and grinned.

“We’ve found there’s less clean-up if we test new spells outside.” Cas nodded once to Eileen and she smiled.

“I think I’ll go see what’s going on inside. Sam, grab the box when you come in?” She patted his back when he nodded an agreement.

Cas waited for the questions; it wasn’t a long wait.

“Who are the kids?”

“Mark is ten and he’s the older brother. Paul is only six.” Cas split his attention between Dean’s clean-up of the younger child and Sam’s fascination.

“How’d they end up here?”

“The usual way – parents were killed by a monster. They weren’t hunters though, just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Both boys saw it.” Cas gritted his teeth against one of the curses he’d learned years ago from Dean. He did still believe good things happened, but he knew horrible things happened too.

Sam shifted his weight to the side and ran a hand through his hair. Dean was starting to walk their way. His hand was on Paul’s head – Mark walked several feet away.

Cas spoke quickly and quietly just before the trio joined them, “Mark doesn’t want to stay. He wants to protect Paul and that means staying away from monsters and hunters.”  
Dean hugged his brother and slapped his back. “Sammy, took you long enough to get here. If you played better music, you’d want to drive faster.”

The hunter brothers exchanged a few more insults while Paul stayed by Dean’s side. His head bounced between them, and his teeth worried his bottom lip. It wasn’t until the exchange ended and the men hugged again that the child relaxed. Mark continued to glare.

“Paulie, this is my little brother, Sammy.” Dean grinned at the kid. “He’s a big nerd, but we still love him. You know how it is with family.” 

Paul glanced at his brother before smiling at Sam. “Hi.”

“Hey there,” Sam greeted. He jerked his head back toward Baby. “Dean rarely lets me touch his car. You must be a friend of his.”

The kid’s eyes widened and he looked up at Dean.

“Yeah, Paulie is a friend,” Dean confirmed. He turned to Cas and blinked several times.

Cas moved to Dean’s side until he was close enough that their shoulders touched. He brushed the hunter’s hand with his and smiled at him. The moment was broken when Mark pulled his brother away from the men.

“I told you they were our friends, Mark.” Paul frowned until his brother lightly cuffed the side of his head. He then dropped his gaze to his feet and kicked the dirt.

Mark sighed and looked from his brother to the adults. “They’re friends, but they ain’t family, Paul.” He stressed his brother’s name and scowled at Dean.

“Food’s on the table, boys. Anybody work up an appetite for homemade pizza?” Eileen stood several feet away and motioned toward the bunker. “Better get it while it’s hot.”

Grabbing Paul by the back of the neck, Mark pushed him forward. “Come on, you need to eat.” 

Paul glanced back at his brother then the men but didn’t argue. Mark looked steadfastly forward.

“He’s a damn stubborn kid.” Dean added a few curses and fisted his hands tight enough to whiten his knuckles.

Sam watched the boys until the door closed behind them. “Yeah, I’ve heard older brothers can be that way.”

Dean ignored the taunt. “He can’t care for Paulie alone. They’ll be sitting ducks for any ghost or monster.”

Glancing between Eileen and Cas, Sam started laughing. “I know you two do a lot behind the scenes, but really?”

Cas grinned back then winked at Dean when he turned to him. He knew the simple gesture could still distract the hunter. Dean’s gaze moved from his eyes to his lips and Cas had to fight the urge to give into the distraction himself. It didn’t help when bright green eyes met his again.

“I can’t believe you guys still do the staring thing,” Sam grouched.

“I think it’s romantic,” Eileen retorted. She accepted Sam’s kiss and pinched his side at the same time. 

One arm around his wife, Sam turned back to his brothers. “What’s the plan?”

“There isn’t one. The kids have a grandmother in hospice care at a retirement home and Mark wants to go to her. He’ll end up taking care of her too. After that, they’ll be alone.” No longer distracted, Dean frowned and cursed.

Fisting his hands, Cas didn’t lift a hand to trace the taut line Dean’s full lips had become. He did take a moment to note the laugh lines the more recent years had etched on his love’s face. Theirs wasn’t an easy life, but it was one Cas had given up everything for many times. He’d never regretted the choice.

“We need to show them family doesn’t end with blood,” Cas reminded Dean. He smiled when the hunter sighed and relaxed enough to lean into him. It was a comforting habit to put a hand on his shoulder. 

“Do you want to train them to be hunters?” Sam’s brows furrowed.

“No,” Dean spat out the word. “We want to give them the chance to be kids.”

“Both of them,” Cas added. Neither Sam nor Dean had had a traditional childhood, but the burden of fatherhood had rested with Dean from too early an age.

Sam nodded repeatedly. “Okay, we’ll show them what it means to be family. It won’t be the first kid you’ve taken on, Dean.”

“I’m not a good father figure, but Cas is here. We have some good hunters with kids who can show them love and happiness. They should get to be kids even if we can’t stop all the nightmares.” Dean’s head dropped to rest briefly on Cas’ shoulder.

“Sam turned out okay, all things considered.” Eileen laughed while Sam rolled his eyes.

Cas grinned at them and squeezed Dean’s shoulder. “All things considered.”

Dean snorted and lifted his head. “The big moose—“

“Okay, wait until the boys are around to demonstrate that brotherly love,” Eileen chastised. She hugged Sam and looked up at him. “Are you good staying longer?”

“I’m guessing you packed enough for longer.” Sam shook his head but grinned. “I really should have caught on sooner that you two were up to something.”

Cas watched Dean frown – his hunter didn’t always catch up to the details. The fact that he trusted Cas’ judgment and allowed him to shoulder some of the responsibility was more than enough for him. It was one of the many ways Dean showed his love. It had taken the hunter a long time to say the words, but it had taken Cas an even longer time to see all the small ways Dean had already confessed his feelings.

“What do you mean up to something?” Dean glanced between them and ended up staring at Cas.

“I called Eileen the night we rescued them. Two brothers basically alone in the world. It wasn’t hard to believe we were being given a chance to right a wrong.” Cas watched emotions flit across Dean’s face. “You still don’t believe good things happen or that you deserve them.”

It wasn’t a question. Dean had come a long way from the angry hothead who lashed out and fought battles armed with only sheer bravado and sarcasm. He was, however, still Dean Winchester. Cas had loved him then and he loved him now. Leaning in, he brushed his mouth against Dean’s then pulled back.

“We can make good things happen.”

Dean didn’t argue with Cas – he just slid an arm around his shoulders and kept him close. “Okay, let’s go eat then we’ll do whatever it is you’ve planned.”

“It still surprises me how mellow Cas has made you, Dean.” 

The words might have annoyed Dean, but he’d never been able to not smile when his brother did. It was something else Cas saw in the young brothers in their care. That sibling bond was the first time Cas had recognized the power of human love. To have Dean love him too was something that still made Cas smile – it also made his heart beat a little faster.

“Suck it, bitch,” Dean retorted and passed by Sam with a push that sent him and Eileen stumbling several feet to the side. 

Sam jumped forward to shove Dean back while Eileen rolled her eyes and turned to Cas. He watched the brothers carry on as they all walked toward the bunker. When his sister took his arm and held him back, Cas tilted his head and waited for her words.

“You were right to call me. They need to be together more. I’ve already suggested Sam appoint some other hunters to be in charge of more things. Think you can get Dean to let go of some of his responsibilities too?” 

Eileen grinned to challenge him. She’d come to know Dean well over the years. She’d been the only one to still stand by them too. Even with two bunkers, hunters often chose a solitary life to protect others and themselves. 

The meal and subsequent movie and game night were louder than usual with both Dean and Sam there. Cas was braced against a stool watching the chaos. Mark stood by Dean’s side while Paul was next to Sam on the other side of the foosball table. They battled ferociously to stop each other from scoring. Both sets of brothers teased and taunted whenever they could. When they switched sides again, the ‘smack talk’ continued loudly enough to draw an even bigger crowd. Dean looked up again to smile at Cas.

“I do think the staring thing is sweet and so does Sam,” Eileen leaned close to whisper to Cas.

He shook his head even as memories pulled at him. It hadn’t taken long for him to understand the staring and personal space Dean had explained to him. There’d never been a problem remembering with anyone else. He should have realized much earlier how much he’d loved the hunter. “It’s just part of us, part of our—“

“Profound bond?” Eileen laughed when Cas turned to frown at her. “Oh yeah, Sam loves to tell the story of you two, but he only tells me.”

Trying to ignore the heat in his face, Cas looked back to see Dean watching him. His face grew hotter when the hunter licked his lips. Sam’s well-placed elbow forced Dean back to the game and plan. Paul still watched Dean, but Mark looked back to Cas with a puzzled expression.

“I think I’ll go help them out before it becomes a little too brotherly.” Eileen stepped away then looked back. “Don’t you want to join? We could take on the boys.”

“I think I’ll just…” Cas was again distracted when Dean laughed and turned his way again.

“Just watch over him? That’s creepy, dude.” 

Being around the Winchesters for so many years had given him an affinity for rolling his eyes. Cas added a dramatic sigh which made Eileen laugh harder. “Sam really does talk too much.”

Eileen pressed a kiss to his cheek. “And Dean thinks you’re adorable…what’s new about either of those things?”

She made her way across the room and Dean bowed out quickly to let her play against Sam. His hunter immediately returned to Cas’ side with no thought of personal space. They kept typical public displays of affection to a minimum but did still enjoy looking at each other frequently and for much longer than most people did. Dean finally turned to lean against his side and watch the game.

“Do you really think we can give them a different life? Do you think it can turn out differently for them?” 

Dean’s words were almost too soft for Cas to hear, almost. His answering sigh for the stubborn hunter who hated to talk about his feelings was even softer. “Dean, I think you gave Sam a good life, but it wasn’t fair to you. Now, Sam has made his life his own and it is still a good life.”

Again, Dean dropped his head to Cas’ shoulder and left it long enough for Cas to rest his against it for just a moment. Shouts of laughter echoed across the room while Eileen and Paul did a victory dance. Both Mark and Sam tried to frown, but their lips twitched as they coughed and sputtered.

“I think the world could use a couple more Winchesters to carry on the family traditions after us.” It wasn’t how Cas had intended to ease Dean into a lifetime of responsibility for the boys. He’d meant to get Mark to agree to an extended visit so both Mark and Dean could get used to the more permanent arrangement Cas wanted. Wincing, he looked away from Dean.

Dean stepped directly in front of him without speaking. Cas waited for another second then met the eyes glowing brightly at him.

“You don’t intend for them to be just part of the extended hunting family, do you? You want us to what, adopt them?”

It was one of the rare times Cas couldn’t read Dean’s words or his expression. “I think you’d be the best father for them. I think they’d be good for you too.”

“And what about you, Angel?” Dean’s words were whisper-soft on the nickname he still used when they were alone. “Would that be good for you?”

“Yes,” Cas breathed out the single word.

Dean brushed a kiss across his lips then stepped back. “That’s good enough for me.”

Cas reached out and grabbed his hand to keep him from crossing the room toward the boys. “You can’t just tell them that right now. Mark is too much like you and it took me years…”

“Years to do what?” Dean again stepped into his personal space to tease. “What did you have to wait years to do to me?”

“Dean.” The exasperation he’d hoped to instill in the name came out with too much affection as it always had. “We have to have a plan. We have to be smart about this.”

Laughing, Dean slung an arm around his shoulders. “Are we hunting the boys? Gotta have the right tools and strategy, right?”

“Dean.” He’d managed a little more tone, but not enough to stop his hunter from chuckling. 

“Cas.” 

Dean didn’t like to use his words, but he’d always been able to get a response from Cas just by saying his name which was really a nickname. It had shaken him to hear Dean call him Castiel the first time they’d shared a bed. He tried not to get distracted now, but Dean read him easily and licked his lips. Cas placed a hand on his shoulder to keep him from getting any closer. “We need to discuss this later. We are not going to go in with guns blazing and tell them they can’t leave.”

“If you think the cowboy reference will distract me…okay, you’re right. It did.” Shaking his head, Dean looked away briefly before meeting Cas’ gaze again. “We’ll talk tonight and then do it your way.”

“Our way,” Cas corrected with a small smile. Dean had changed, but so had he. Working with Eileen to make the brothers happy didn’t count as going behind their backs. They no longer withheld information or made secret deals with whoever or whatever to save each other. He grabbed Dean’s hand and brought it up between them. Long ago, he limited his touch to whenever the hunter had needed to be healed. A part of him still wished he could heal Dean. The small marks from today’s work joined a collection of scars and calluses. The man he loved didn’t shy away from hard work or responsibility – he also protected those he loved. Dipping his head, Cas pressed small kisses close to the new injuries.

“Ahh, Cas, they’re just scratches.” Dean blushed but didn’t pull away when Cas brought his other hand up to be kissed. “You know you can’t actually heal me, right?”

Cas stopped long enough to look into Dean’s eyes. They’d been through so much, but Cas still wanted more. If he’d still been an angel, he would’ve gotten a lifetime with Dean and an eternity without him. Losing his grace to gain his love was still the best choice he’d ever made.

“Okay, yeah, you still manage to heal me.” 

The gruffness of Dean’s voice made Cas smile. He squeezed both hands briefly then allowed them to fall.

“You healed me too, Dean. It’s just part of our—“

“Profound bond,” Dean completed the familiar phrase with a wide smile. “I hope you have enough love to heal those two brothers too.”

“We have enough love,” Cas assured him. “We’ll make good things happen.”

“More good things happen,” Dean corrected. “We’ve made a good life together. Those boys…”

“Will become part of our family.” 

“I knew it,” Sam exclaimed as he placed hands on both of their shoulders. 

Dean pushed him away and stepped to Cas’ side. “If you knew, it’s only because Eileen told you.”

She joined them with a laugh. “Sorry, Dean, but he figured it out by himself.”

The brothers traded insults while wearing big smiles. Cas would never stop watching over the Winchester brothers, and there was nothing he enjoyed more. Grinning, he could think of a few more profound things he enjoyed with his hunter, but that wasn’t the point. He was still guardian over the Winchester brothers. Cas looked up and found Mark watching him back. The boy was already much older than his years, and he reminded Cas so much of a young Dean. He hadn’t always been able to protect his Dean, but he could help Dean protect these young boys. 

Cas would never stop watching over the Winchester brothers…and now he had two more brothers to watch over.


End file.
